Selma City Council recesses to closed session on city manager evaluation, discipline and possible litigation

The Selma City Council on April 15 recessed into closed session to consider a performance evaluation of the city manager, possible discipline or dismissal of the city manager and anticipated litigation involving three potential cases.

A written public comment, read into the record and signed “a concerned citizen,” urged the council not to take negative action against the city manager. The email said the council had evaluated the city manager multiple times in the prior four months and asked the council to preserve stability. The email read into the record stated, “I urge this council not to make any rash decisions to dismiss or take any negative actions against the city manager.” The City Clerk read the message into the record during the oral communications portion of the special meeting.

Before the council recessed, the City Attorney said the council had provided notice of charges on April 9 and noted the employee’s statutory right to request that discipline be considered in open session. The City Attorney said, “We provided that notice on April 9.” The City Attorney also reported the city manager asked that the matter proceed in closed session.

Mayor Robertson then read the closed-session agenda items into the record, including what he described as “public employee performance evaluation, title city manager,” a separate item listed as public employee discipline, dismissal and release, and a conference with legal counsel under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4) for anticipated litigation — three cases and initiation of litigation.

No votes or final actions were recorded in the public portion of the meeting. The council moved directly from oral communications to recess into closed session; the transcript does not include any public decision or report of outcomes from the closed session.

The special meeting began at 4:30 p.m. in the Selma City Council Chambers. The clerk noted an emailed comment had been received before the meeting and read into the record at the council’s request. The closed-session agenda items as read by the mayor referenced California Government Code provisions governing personnel and anticipated litigation. The transcript does not record any subsequent public announcement of decisions following the closed session.